Slide fastener operating mechanism

ABSTRACT

A slide fastener operating mechanism adapted for door or wall mounting is secured to an endless cord that is suspended and running between spaced, resiliently supported end pulleys, themselves positioned in easily removable over-the-door or wall securable brackets.

O United States Patent l 13,568,901

[72] Inventor Lewis F. McNitt [56] References Cited 23219 Lake Road, Bay Village, Ohio 44140 UNITED STATES PATENTS gm 1 23 2 1968 2,604,242 7/1952 Vahan 294/1(A)X a [45] Patented Mar. 9,197] 3,199,753 8/1965 Robertson et ai 294/l(A)X Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Douglas D. Watts s41 sum: FASTENER OPERATING MECHANISM 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs. [52] [1.8. CI. 223/111, ABSTRACT: A slide fastener operating mechanism adapted 294/1 for door or wall mounting is secured to an endless cord that is [51] Int. CL... A47j 51/06 suspended and running between spaced, resiliently supported [50] Field of Search 2 6, 1 end pulleys, themselves positioned in easily removable overthe-door or wall securable brackets.

' PATENTEDnin 919?! INVE NTOR LEWIS F. M NlTT BY troubles would hardly be able to screw fasten I suns FASTENER'OPERATINGMECHANISM" This'inventionirelates to operating mechanisms for slide fasteners. More particularly it .is, directed to a slide fastener designed tofassist those persons", finding difficulty in their manipulatiomwhen included in the back of a wearer's clothingl Th'e rnechanism'is easily mountedover door ends,

being made securable'therein, and'it has re'siliencyin that it is yielding when an operator tends'toslightly move away from it.

The mechanism includes spring yielding support means of pulleys or wheels in which an endless cord is'placed and to =whi'chis attached a hook means adapted to be secured to the slide locking device. Advantageously, the spring mounting of Also the over-the-door end brackets permit self-mountingand dismounting. Should a permanent anda more narrow mound ingof the end pulley holders be desired the over-the-door end brackets ,are, made 'diseng geable and the pulley holders may be screw secured to the door or wall; 3 1 1 These and additional advantages will be described in the following specification'inconnection.with the attached drawing, wherez".

1 illustrates. a slider w ll mechanism m which this in. vention'ap l i q FIG. 2 is in partial-section disclosing a resilient pulley mounting in an over-the-door end bracket; p

FlG,'3 is adiagrammatic representationof a door installation of the "slide fastener mechanism in an operative position relative apersomand l Split FIG; 4 is a'frontal'view of the lower pulleymounting including-a yielding spring S PP l Ofthe pulley itself.

' the pulleys provides for substantial yielding permitting the operator adequateyroom for more comfortable operation.

Referring to-the drawing, slide fasteners-asshown in FIG. 1

are; quite commonly used in; outerwear as jackets, sweaters, dresses, etc. Indeed they' are'preferredto buttons with their receiving buttonholes and othersecuringmeansin that-a single continuousmotion can zip up a dress or'coat than the re- -peated buttoning from one-to the next button,"and so on until the operation is complete; Certainly, slide fasteners are a boonto people who may be-suffering'some physical malady and'fmd it difficult to manipulate their fingersand arms for a buttoning operation, or in zippering', Whiletheslide fastener'lil of FIG.

l is readily'operableby tnerely'pulling on th'elslide ta'b' 1 1 to close and lock the opposing stringer sides l3, 14, an incapacitated'person' will still find it dift'lcult'where itis in the vbackof a garmentgto twisthis 'orh'erarms abbut th'e back to fully effect a closure. Individual extension pulls 15, as generally indicated,;are availableand do helpin instances but not in all casesJAndQaIsb, a person afflicted with hand or arm a slide fastener support mechanism to adoor or wall. f

A helpful combination of a slide fastener mechanism is shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and split FIG.'4. Twoopposing, rigid, U-

shaped, supporting brackets 20, 21 are made tofit over a door r.

end, as shown Each extends inwardly intoa rooma distance sufiicient to provide space for U-shapecl pulley mounting elements 22, 22a, The lower mounting 22 .supportsa pulley 23 on a shaft 24 and the upperjpulley 35 onits shaft 36. The pulleys support, the endless cord 25 which extends in. a1circuit therearound. And'to the-cord 25 there is attached a pull ele; ment' 15 with a hook that is insertable in the slide tab'll, The pulley shafts 24 and. 36 extend through the'parallel side webs of their assembly mounts 22, 22a and each is permitted some the spring may act on the shaft 24 to urge the pulleyin a direction away from the element 22a supporting the other pul- I ley. A pull on the cord 25will'rnovejone or pulleys in their slots 26, 37 rmittin e slid f t he o somewhat in the forw grd dire ti ri towasd thi use: rindtfid give. the user amore comfortable position in'operatingthe slidefastener.

The pulley holding assembly 22 itself is desirably secured to the bracket 21 by means of sidepositioned threaded bolt and ,nut combinations 31 positioned in horizontal slotted openings 32. A tubular spacer 33 over the bolt 31 maintains a uniform spacing between the sides of the U-shaped bracket 22. The slots 32, 32a permit an adjustmentof the total assembly to varying thicknesses of doors The upper pulley assembly is simila'r to theone being described butfonthe'spring which also can be, included if sodesired. r

During a typical use as shownin FIG. 3, a bracket 20, 21 is joined to an element 22, 22a witho'ne leg of the. bracket engaging one side of a door and the element secured tothe other leg-of the bracket toengage the other side of the door thereby enabling the assembly. ofthebracketand the element to fit around or clamp the upper or lower end of a door. FIGA is a modification of the pulley mounting assembly 22 in the door bracket 21 wherethe depressing spring arms27, of FIGS. 2 and 3 are replaced with coiled spring ends 40 cantilever supported from the element 22 which also act as bearings for the shaft 41 of the pulley 42 In this construction the spring itself can be supported in the manneralready described, or so mounted. as to-be entirely independent of the restraining and limiting slots 26. a a v While the invention is directed to a combination slide fastener mechanism for over thesdoor end mounting, obviously it can be also secured to the face of the door itself, by means of screws thusl'eliminatingthe door end bracket assembly mountings 20,21;

I. A slide fastener operating mechanism comprising:

a pair ofv opposing supporting brachetsadapted for'being mounted on a base object; in a vertical spacing sufficient to affect-a desired range of slide'fastener movement; a

a pair of U-shaped pulley-mounted elements, each mounted on a bracket-and having spaced, side webs, the webs of each elementhaving one pair of oppositeparallel slots extending in a horizontal direction; adjustable-meansextending through each bracket and the horizontal slots ofthe element supported thereon for securing said element at various horizontalpositions relativetothebrackfet; a pairof pulleys ofwhich one'is of each element; shaft means extending through each element and the pulley received therein, one of the shaftmeans and, the pulley carried thereon being movable in a vertical direction; spring means carried by said-element the movable shaft means acting on, and urging, the shaft means in a direction away from the other element; and endless cord means extending in a circuit around both pulleys and having'a pull element secured by one end to the a cord means, said 7 looseend; p 2. The mechanism of claim 2 wherein: said webs of at least one of said elements having a pair of opposite parallel s'lots extending in the vertical direction;

pull element terminating ina hook atits .said'element having vertical slots receiving said shaft means associated therewith extending through said vertical slots;

and r each bracket isU-shapedand has two legs of which oneleg is opposed to the'element and the element adjustably attached to its other leg to receive a supporting object between said one leg and the element.

3. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein:

spring means in cantilever attached relation with one of said elements has coiled ends for receiving said shaft means of P one of said pulleys.

disposed between thewebs 

1. A slide fastener operating mechanism comprising: a pair of opposing supporting brackets adapted for being mounted on a base object in a vertical spacing sufficient to affect a desired range of slide fastener movement; a pair of U-shaped pulley-mounted elements, each mounted on a bracket and having spaced side webs, the webs of each element having one pair of opposite parallel slots extending in a horizontal direction; adjustable means extending through each bracket and the horizontal slots of the element supported thereon for securing said element at various horizontal positions relative to the bracket; a pair of pulleys of which one is disposed between the webs of each element; shaft means extending through each element and the pulley received therein, one of the shaft means and the pulley carried thereon being movable in a vertical direction; spring means carried by said element the movable shaft means acting on, and urging, the shaft means in a direction away from the other element; and endless cord means extending in a circuit around both pulleys and having a pull element secured by one end to the cord means, said pull element terminating in a hook at its loose end.
 2. The mechanism of claim 2 wherEin: said webs of at least one of said elements having a pair of opposite parallel slots extending in the vertical direction; said element having vertical slots receiving said shaft means associated therewith extending through said vertical slots; and each bracket is U-shaped and has two legs of which one leg is opposed to the element and the element adjustably attached to its other leg to receive a supporting object between said one leg and the element.
 3. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein: spring means in cantilever attached relation with one of said elements has coiled ends for receiving said shaft means of one of said pulleys. 